Another Start
by Moonpath-wolf
Summary: When the Inquisitor shows up on Lothal once a month for a week every month, he catches the Ghost crew's attention. What could possibly be this important on Lothal?
1. Chapter 1

"I don't know Kanan, are you sure he's suppose to be here?" Sabine lowered her binoculars, looking at the Jedi beside her, who was frowning at the lighted up base below them.

"According to Hera's information, yes, the Inquisitor himself is here, at this base on Lothal. He keeps returning. One week, every month he comes here then leaves, like clockwork." He sighed, shielding himself this close to the Inquisitor. He'd rather not be detected if it could be avoided.

"Wonder why. Not like tall, white and creepy should find anything useful on Lothal except scaring the citizens." Zeb grumbled, ears flickering to listen to the noises of the night.

Kanan rolled his eyes and continued resting against the hill as they peered at the base through their binoculars.

He couldn't understand it himself honestly though, what was so important here that the Grand Inquisitor would come and stay for a week every four weeks. Nothing here on Lothal had a value to someone like him except for the mining production and that could be handled by the other Imperial agents.

And at this base?

So far from any of the towns?

Nothing made se-

"Kanan, look." Zeb pointed at something moving on the base. "What is that?"

The Jedi looked through the binoculars and felt his eyes widen in surprise. "Its...its a kid." He blinked, watching the kid dressed in a white cadet uniform look around from behind a supply crate before scuttling over to another quickly and hiding behind it as a stormtrooper patrol went by.

He couldn't be more then nine, with eyes that had a purplish hue to them that somehow didn't seem quite natural to Kanan. His hair raven hair was so dark it gained a blue tint to it and was tied back in a small ponytail to keep it all out of the lad's face and he was scrawny in a manner that told Kanan he wasn't to well feed. He also had several bruises along his cheekbone and a hefty black eye centered on his left one.

"What's a kid doing on a base this far out. The cadet academy are usually in the middle of town..." Zeb stared at the small shape as it kept still behind the crate, waiting for the troopers to move out of range before he was scuttling again.

"I'll hand it to him, he's quick." Sabine noted as the kid started jumping crates until he was on top of the TIE's. He tried to open them but gave up after a few minutes and continued running until a new patrol, flattening himself on top of the last TIE.

"Should we...help him?" Zeb sounded uncertain.

"We don't know what he's doing or why he's there." Kanan rebuffed.

"Oh come on Kanan, he's a kid."

"In a cadet uniform on a Imperial bas-" He stared as the kid landed in front of the gates, feeling a ringing going off.

The kid focused on the gates and held out his hands, the gates slowly starting to raise after a few moments.

"...He's Force sensitive." The Jedi breathed out.

"Oh karabast."

"Sithspit."

Kanan stared as the gates continued raising, sweat clearly beading on the kid's face, teeth gritted. And then they dropped sharply, the kid twirling around and raising his arm with a yelp that seemed to echo through Kanan's brain, a blaster shot hitting him in his raised arm instead of in the head, still downing the now injured child.

"Well done apprentice. You almost made it out the gates this time." The Inquisitor was making his way towards the kid from the base doors with a small team of stormtroopers, as the child pulled himself towards the gate with his uninjured arm, eyes wide and fearful. "But not good enough, Lieutenant, would you like to inform my apprentice when he was caught?" The tall Pau'an stared down at him while the stormtrooper saluted. "He tripped the sensor while getting out of the vent sir."

"...I got to the gates though?" The child offered tremulously. "I...I did good?"

"Hmm, fine enough, but I expect better results next time." The Inquisitor turned to the stormtrooper. "See that he is treated for the blaster wound and feed this time." He walked away with his arms behind his back as the child struggled to get up, arm tucked into his stomach and held with his good hand.

"Move along, back to your room." The Stormtrooper prodded at the child with his blaster, the small one shuffling along slowly. He suddenly looked up and Kanan felt as if the child was looking straight at him with wide, wet eyes, he knew they were there but said nothing to the Inquisitor or stormtroopers.

And then the doors closed behind them.

"...We need to tell Hera." Sabine breathed out before starting to crawl away, Zeb following her. Kanan continued to stare at the doors before he slowly started to crawl after them. 'He knew we were there.'

()()()()

"So that's why the Inquisitor is here, he has a apprentice...how old do you think he was?" Hera asked softly, staring at her hands.

"Nine...perhaps younger." Kanan stared at her in return. "...His face was covered in bruises and he had a black eye." She flinched.

"What do we do, I mean...what do we do?" Sabine looked a bit lost. She was used to them stealing cargo, helping feed people, liberating but this...

"What do you mean, what do we do?" Zeb grumbled. "Kid didn't look good, we should help him and thumb one at the Inquisitor right?" He looked at them. "...Right?"

"...We'd bring a lot of attention to ourselves if we rescued him." Hera said softly before staring at Kanan. "If we rescue him, we'd have to stay off radar for at least a few weeks."

Kanan looked away then looked back at her. "He knew we were there. He looked right at us Hera. He KNEW I was there. We have to help him. Whoever or whatever else, the Inquisitor is going to corrupt him from the bottom of what he is right now to become exactly like him. Another powerful tool in the Empire hands." He stared seriously at her.

"...Alright, then we make this a rescue mission. The Inquisitor leaves in two days and won't return for another three. We need to strike during that time."

She turned to pull up information on the base. "Chopper, if you please."

()()()()

Ezra looked wearily up as alarms started to blare, shifting gingerly of his bed to stand, something urging him to be ready and awake as he slipped his feet into his shoes. His bandaged arm was resting in its sling as he stared at the door, feeling...something come closer.

But it felt warm.

Unlike the Inquisitor who always felt so cold to him, this felt warm, felt comforting in a way he hadn't experienced since he had been ripped from his mothers arms and his parents being dragged away by the Stormtroopers as the Inquisitor held onto his shoulder.

His whole body broke out in goosebumps as the presence stopped right outside his door and Ezra stared at it, standing right in front of the door as it snapped open, a dark skinned man in green standing right there with a blaster in hand.

Ezra's mind was yelling at him to cower, but his instincts told him to stay right where he was, staring at his man with the stern face and teal eyes who stared back at him.

"...Hey kid, want to get out of here?" A hand was held out to Ezra along with the gentle voice who radiated warmth.

"Kay..." Ezra slowly took that hand, following the man out of the darkness that was his room, nothing in it that Ezra wanted to bring with him as he stepped out into the light.

"Specter Four and Specter Five, I have the kid. You can set of the distraction." Kanan smiled down at Ezra, talking into his coms before kneeling down and carefully picking him up, moving quickly down the hall.

"One big artsy distraction coming up Specter One."

"Good, I'll rendezvous with you all at the Phantom." He put his com back on his belt, wrapping his arm around the kid sitting on his other one, holding him close.

"Got a name kid?"

A bruised face peeked up at him, the hued eyes blinking at him. "Ezra...Ezra Bridger sir."

* * *

Author note: So! Regulare readers of my fic may already know that I put Ezra throug ha lot of crap in my stories ehehe...well I got to thinking, what if he didn't end up on the street? What if...he went somewhere totally else. Not sure if I'll continue this but anythings possible. Have a good day!


	2. Chapter 2

Sabine smiled and carefully placed a bacta bandage on the cheek of the child in front of her. "And there we go, all nicely covered up with bacta gel. Sorry I can't do anything about your eye though." She smiled in sympathy.

"Its okay. I'm used to to it. It will heal soon enough." Ezra said while swishing his feet back and forth slowly, peering at her with a tiny smile. "Thank you for taking care of the bruises on my cheek though, it feels a lot better now then earlier."

"You're welcome Ezra. I'm Sabine so you know" She gently ruffled his tied hair, getting a small giggle out of the child.

"I like your hair Sabine..." He said shyly. "Its really bright..."

"Why thank you, I woke up bored one day and decided I wanted to dye it." She grinned, amusing Ezra as the others looked on.

Hera smiled a bit. He was a cute kid, she'd give him that.

"Ezra, could you tell us how old you are?" She stepped closer, smiling more when those purple hued eyes looked up at her. "Eight Miss Hera. I'm eight."

"Tall for your age then aren't you. And Hera is fine." She assured.

Ezra peered up at her before smiling again and nodding. Chopper bumped into her legs and waved his arms. "This guy is Chopper, he insists to be introduced to you." The astromech waved his arms at Ezra, warbling.

Ezra waved his hand back. "Hi, I'm happy to meet you too...I like your colors." He tilted his head before peeking at Zeb who gave a little wave from his chair.

"...You're a Lasat." He stared with wide awed eyes. "I heard about you, Agent Kallus has a weapon like that." He pointed at the bo-rifle Zeb had on his lap. "...What?" Zeb sat up, staring at Ezra who shrugged. "Agent Kallus sometimes shows up at the base with the Inquisitor, he has a weapon like that."

Kanan cleared his throat before Zeb could say anything else. "This is Zeb. You already know me but since we're doing the introductions again, I'm Kanan as I told you back at the base." He smiled at Ezra. "I'm sure you're parents must be missing you a lot."

Ezra frowned at that, shuffling and pulling his shoulders up to his ears defensively. "...No, cause the Empire took them. They took my parents away cause they were doing something the Empire didn't like."

Hera lost her smile before sitting down next to Sabine, smiling sadly at Ezra. "I'm sorry Ezra. Can you tell me why they took them?" She asked gently, not wanting to upset the child more then he already was.

"Because my parents did broadcasts at home...and the Empire didn't like what they said...so they came. And then the Inquisitor came too." He hesitated. "He said I was like him..." He bit his bottom lip, looking down at his knees. "...I don't want to be like him." He whispered.

"...Well, then you can be like me Ezra." Moving forward and kneeling down in front of Ezra, Kanan peered into those shaded eyes, recognizing that they had been addled by the dark side of the Force. But as hued eyes peered back at him in surprise, Kanan knew that Ezra didn't have to be like that. If Kanan trained him. "You can be a Jedi like me."

Oh Kanan might fail, he never did achieve the rank of Jedi Knight but looking into those surprised and hopeful eyes, he felt that this was the right thing to do. To help this child because regardless of all other things, he was strong in the Force and still impressionable. And the Force as humming in approval to Kanan, feeling a stirring of connection between the two already.

"Like you? A Jedi?" Ezra's eyes were wide.

"Yes Ezra."

"...I can be warm like you?" He tilted his head like a Loth-cat, face open and full of happiness.

"I feel warm to you?" Kanan smiled at that.

"When the Inquisitor comes...he feels cold, like ice...but you...feel warm...like...like the sun?" Ezra smiled hopefully.

"...Yeah, yeah you can feel warm too. I can help you feel as warm as I do, you can be a Jedi too." Now why did the fact that he made Ezra feel warm make him almost deliriously happy?

Ezra threw his small arms around Kanan, meeping happily as he hid in the others shoulder, beaming despite his shyness.

"Guess that means you're coming with us then." Hera smiled, crossing her arms lightly over her chest.

"Yes he is." Kanan smiled a bit, glancing at Hera before standing with the kid in his arms, holding him carefully. "But for now I think its been enough excitement. Ezra are you hungry or would you like to go back to bed?" He looked to what was now his padawan.

"I..." Ezra mulled that over before peering up at him. "Bed. I'm tired, not hungry and you've taken care of my aches so I don't hurt as much anymore."

The Jedi smiled at that, tucking Ezra against his side before heading to the cabins with the child. "So um, where's he rooming?" He heard Zeb ask.

"With me. The bunk over me is free." Kanan said easily and rolled his eyes when Zeb let out a relieved breath. Normally he'd have Ezra bunk with the Lasat honestly but Ezra was wary even if he wasn't showing it and Kanan wanted to keep a eye on the child, help him adjust and...well, could anyone blame him of wanting to take care of Ezra?

This was a Force sensitive child, with enough light in him still to follow the path of the Jedi, to make a difference in the world that was to dark. Kanan had only been a padawan himself when order 66 was issued but with Ezra in his arms, he felt a sense of belonging that hadn't happened since then the days of the Jedi temple.

'How strange...I guess this is the Force doing.' He smiled at Ezra, his grin widening a bit when Ezra yawned and tucked himself against Kanan's shoulder.

* * *

Author note: Yeah, once again, I may not continue this but here's another chapter. I don't really have a lot to give for this fic for now I guess, perhaps once the other one is done?


End file.
